Improvement in post-office letter-boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

SILAS N. BROOKS, OF

SELBURNE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ADMINISTRATOR OF LINUS YALE, JB., DEOEASED.

`IMPROVEMENT IN POST-OFFICE LETTER-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,212, dated September 19, 1871.

To all whom it mayroncem:

Beit known that LINUs YALE, Jr., deceased, late of Shelburne Falls, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, during his lifetime invented a new and useful Improvement in Doors for Post-Office Boxes; and I, SILAS N. BROOKS, administrator of the estate of the said LINUS YALE, Jr., deceased, do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, suflicient to enable others skilled in the arts to understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specication, in which- Figure l is an elevation taken from the front or delivery side of a series of boxes; Fig 2 is a vertical section through the same; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a single box-frame with the door open. i

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of the fronts of post-office boxes; and consists inmaking said fronts, including the doors and box-frames, of metal, and in securing the frames tothe Wooden pigeon-holes by rivets, connecting the frames with each other at`top, bottom, and sides.

The body of these boxes is to be made of wood, in the usual manner, namely, a series of pigeonholes; but the front of the box and the doorframe are made of viron or other suitable metal. Each door-frame or box-ont is so made that it aids in covering the edge of the wooden partition or pigeon-holes, and is connected with the other frames above, below, and on each side of it, in such manner that the frames make a continuous frontage, no part of which can be removed (from the outside) without pulling down other parts and breaking the wood-work, so that a surreptitious removal of the front of any box in order to get possession of its contents is practically impossible. Each frame, made as before stated of metal, has all around it a flange, a a,

which protects the outside of the wood-work. The sides of the frame b b enter and fit closely against the wood forming the pigeon-holes, and may be continuous or notched out at intervals; and each frame has attached to it one leaf of two or more hinges, c c.' The door isof iron, solid at top, where the lock l is attached, and having an opening, c, below, in which a plate of glass is secured. Iprefer to locate rods f f behind the plate, to prevent the introduction of a hand if the glass be broken, and so to form the door that when shut it enters within the frame, (see g g,) so that it cannot be lifted from its hinges. When the frames are all in place each frame is riveted through the wood-work to its four neighbors, (see il h, Fig. 2,) and thus a continuous iron frontage is formed. Each door has a small spring-bolt, t',

and av lock, d, attached to it, the two operating together and forming, in the hands of the postmaster, a perfect safeguard against all entrance to the box by means of the key, as is more particularly set forth in my application for a patent therefor made equal date with this.

What I claim as the invention of the said LI- NUS YALE, Jr., deceased, is

l. The combination of several box-frames with each other and with pigeon-holes, as described, by means of rivets passing through the frames, and the woodwork entering between the said frames, .the combination being substantially as described.

2. The above, in combination with the anges making part of the frames and protecting and inclosing the exterior of the wood-work, substantially as set forth.

SILAS N. BROOKS. Administrator of the estate of LINUS YALE, Jr., deceased.

H. L. WATTENEERG. (94.) 

